Earlier in the day, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that Berlin decided to initiate a new massive expulsion of employees of Russian diplomatic missions in the country. Moscow said that it would respond with corresponding measures.
"Today's departure of the Russian embassy staff is connected precisely with this," a spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry said, as quoted by the broadcaster.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Sputnik that more than 20 German diplomats were expelled from Russia. According to Sputnik data, the number of Russian diplomats expelled from Berlin is also over 20 people.